David Sackllah

The team behind Austin Psych Fest, an annual music festival that celebrates all forms of psychedelic rock, doesn’t know the meaning of taking things easy.

This week marks the third year of Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival, and, while serious comedy fans will recognize most of the names on the lineup, the average person might be puzzled as to who a lot of the performers are. 

Local psych band Pure X is an enigma. The band has almost no involvement in the Austin music scene, but has managed to find success nationwide. 

The music portion of South By Southwest is the most unpredictable aspect of the festival. 

There was no shortage of young bands invoking the sounds of the ’90s in 2013, from blistering pop-punk to skuzzy indie-rock, but few arrived with the personality and talent of Potty Mouth.

Heavenly Beat is the musical project of John Pena, one of the founding members of Beach Fossils.

Samuel Herring, the lead singer of Future Islands, is eager to get back on the road.

The average hip-hop show has anywhere from two to three opening acts, likely composed of rappers with experience, selected to open because of their skills or popularity.

Most first birthday parties involve a party at Chuck E. Cheese’s, but KUTX is celebrating a different way.

On the evening of Dec. 12, most students were preparing for finals, completely unaware that the world of pop music would be changed before midnight. 

From Beyonce’s Super Bowl extravaganza in January to last week’s debut of the “Bound 2” video, The Daily Texan Life & Arts staff fondly recounts some of the best pop culture moments, movies and music of the year. 

In the crowded musical genre of hip-hop, every artist needs something to set him or her apart.

With nude photos, arrests for drug possession and reports of inconsistent live performances, indie pop sensation Sky Ferreira has built quite a name for herself in 2013.

Even if you’ve never heard of singer/producer Dev Hynes — the man behind Blood Orange — you’ve probably heard some of his work.

It’s difficult to discuss the soundtrack to “Inside Llewyn Davis” without having actually seen the film.

The Daily Texan spoke with "riot grrrl" Kathi Wilcox of The Julie Ruin before her Fun Fun Fun Fest performance this weekend about the new band.

People love to discuss music in extremes, deeming records or artists either brilliant or trash, without leaving much middle ground.

Over the course of the last seven years, the British act Los Campesinos! has established itself as one of the most consistent indie-pop bands around.

For those who couldn’t care less about the new Katy Perry album released Tuesday, last week, two women put together two wildly different yet intriguing releases that show what pop music actually sounds like in 2013.

Darkside is a duo comprised of electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington.

Cults, led by Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, was at the center of a lot of buzz when it released its enjoyable self-titled debut two years ago.

French superstars Phoenix are in the midst of a world tour behind their chart-topping new album Bankrupt.

The Daily Texan spoke with all four members of Parquet Courts about being back home, influences behind their latest EP, Tally All The Things You Broke, as well as their plans for the future. 

When Sleigh Bells debuted in 2010 with the wildly entertaining and innovative Treats, many predicted their rise to stardom.

In 2010, at my first ACL festival, I saw Vampire Weekend & Muse. Three years later, at my last ACL as a student, I saw….Vampire Weekend and Muse.

Between South By Southwest, Chaos in Tejas, Fun Fun Fun Fest and weekly shows at clubs such as Red 7 or Mohawk, punk shows are as common in Austin as 5 p.m. traffic on Lamar Boulevard. 

It was a welcome surprise when Justin Timberlake returned to music after seven years of inactivity with the delightfully retro The 20/20 Experience.